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Battered
In late 2017, long time friends Henry and Austin unintentionally met up with each other at a grocery store in Raleigh, North Carolina after losing contact for over a year. They agreed to return to Austin's residence upon completion of their shopping in order to catch up with each other. At the time, Henry was in Raleigh on a business trip. After an elegant dinner prepared by Austin was finished, the lighthearted conversation turned to seriousness as Henry told Austin a long-time secret he had not even bothered to tell his parents: he was gay. After a brief silence, Austin shared his own lifelong struggle, as well: he was bisexual. Both friends began to cry and engaged in an eternal embrace over the news. They knew they were not alone. They found solace in each other. At the time, Henry was 24 years old. Austin was 20. Throughout the remainder of Henry's stay in Raleigh, the friends struck up a romantic relationship with each other. Neither individual would have expected their life would take this unexpected and seemingly great turn, but they knew it was a miracle. To be best friends of the same sex and be able to take it to the next level appeared too good to be true. Upon Henry's return to his home state of Kentucky, Austin went with him to pursue their romantic interests. They drew up elaborate plans to get engaged and eventually purchase a house together where they would become foster/adoptive parents. Despite having been in a relationship for less than two weeks, Henry proposed to his newfound partner, who enthusiastically accepted. In three months they were married, and the couple honeymooned together at Put-In-Bay, Ohio. Weeks later, for his 21st birthday, Henry surprised Austin by acquring a cozy, two-bedroom condominium in Columbus, Ohio, Austin's birth city. The initial purchase did not sit well with Austin, who thought the dwelling was rather derelict. However, due to his spouse's level of happiness and the fact the house sat rather close to his mother's house, Austin could not bring himself to tell Henry he did not like the residence and instead stated he was in love with it. By all accounts, the inceptive months of the marriage were healthy and vigorous. Despite residing in a conservative neighborhood, many locals were quite pleased to see a happy, young couple moving in. Henry and Austin could be seen all over the city together, taking a stroll through Mile Park or partying in one of the many bars downtown. For his birthday in May, Austin even serenaded his husband by singing Taylor Swift's "Mine" to him at a local restaurant. By the time spring of 2018 arrived, Austin had commenced work on beautifying the property in which he lived, while Henry renovated the home's interior. The work was draining, but Austin was determined to liven up his home. When the couple finally completed renovations in July of that year, a huge housewarming party was thrown in celebration of their accomplishment. Austin, a refined person by nature, was later known to host many more lavish cocktail parties throughout his life, wanting to establish healthy relationships with all residents of the neighborhood. By fall of 2018, Austin landed himself a job as a teacher at a nearby elementary school, while Henry retained his job in business, taking frequent trips out of town and away from his spouse. This later put a strain on both men, who inquired what they would do without each other. In late September, while Henry was away on one of his frequent trips, Austin met up with another male teacher in the district, Craig, who he quickly befriended. Within days of meeting, the two friends went to an Ohio State Buckeyes game, which Austin took pictures of and posted on his personal Facebook page. The subsequent day, Henry, still away on business, saw the photos of Austin and a man he did not recognize, and became enraged at the thought of his spouse cheating on him. Henry cut his trip short and returned home at the delight of Austin, which was later cut short as Henry cussed out his spouse for cheating on him. Austin pleaded with Henry, explaining that he loved only him and that the man in the picture was of a friend he had only recently met up with. Henry was infuriated, refusing to believe Austin and later pushing him to the floor of the kitchen as he marched upstairs. His outburst confused Austin, who always saw that Henry was a normally introverted person; never outwardly expressing his anger. Nevertheless, Austin thought nothing more of the incident, dismissing it as stressed nerves from the plane ride home. After the aforementioned incident, the marriage returned to a peaceful state for several months. In December of 2018, Henry decided on moving to a larger house down the street, positioned directly across the street from Austin's mother. This found comfort in Austin, knowing he would have a safe haven to return to should his husband ever act crazy again. In early February, the marriage once again took a dark turn as one particular day, Austin returned home after a particular stressful day at the school. Later that night, a violent argument ensued between the couple, with Henry accusing his husband of vile and illegal things. Austin later sank into a deep depression, stressed from the now constant fights between him and his spouse. By May of 2019, the 22-year old had a notable change in demeanor, being cited as having a sour attitude nearly all the time. There was notable change in appearance as well, as the man dyed his hair black and wore black clothes, and appeared to be tired and drained, snapping at anybody who spoke to him. This did not remedy things at home, as Henry continued to accuse Austin of being in a cult and beating on him for it. On the last day of the school year in early June of 2019, Austin showed up with a black eye. When his colleagues inquired as to how he got it, Austin stated something about running into a tree branch. Later that day, the couple engaged in yet another argument, which became so loud Austin's mother went over and rang the doorbell. Henry answered, not recognizing who it was. In the background, Austin recognized his mother and went up to her, only to be stopped by Henry, who explained that the situation in their home was "just fine". However, Austin's mother, Sue, a 49-year old no-nonsense woman, refused to believe Henry's statement and notified the police, who showed up later that night. Henry was arrested, and Austin cried to his mother, wondering why the man he loved would constantly fight with and beat up on him. Sue had been a victim of dating violence in her teen years, and could not believe the same thing was happening to her own son, and that his childhood friend was responsible for it. The next day, Austin went to the county jail and bailed out his spouse, who smashed his face against the dashboard of the car on their way home. Austin went to the ER of Mount Carmel West Hospital, being released several days later. Austin feared what would happen to him on his way home, though no violence ensued upon his return. He found Henry in a much better state, having bought him gifts and showering Austin with affection to make up for the physical violence he had subjected him to. Henry assured his husband that nothing would ever happen to him again. Austin believed this to be true, and thought things would finally begin to turn around. For the next month, this was proven as true. Things between the two men had simmered down, and both appeared to be happy once more. In late June, Sue contacted Austin, saying that his 14-year old cousin, Brian, was in need of a place to stay after his parents went off on a lecture tour in Europe and were unable to bring their son with them. Austin agreed, as his cousin admired him deeply, and he found more comfort in having more people in the house. Henry was annoyed at the news, but no argument started, as would have had Henry not promised to change. Days later, Austin picked Brian up at the John Glenn Columbus International Airport and had him settle in the guestroom of their home. By some accounts, Henry appeared jealous at the interaction between Austin and his cousin, and one random July night accused his spouse of spending more time with his cousin than with him. Another argument ensued, and concluded with Henry storming out of the house for the night. Annoyed by the return of the arguing, Austin installed a hidden camera in the living room of his house so he would have proof to give to the police if the beatings ever returned. Several months passed, and though not as frequent as they used to be, Austin was occasionally smacked by Henry. In late October, after returning home from the mall with Brian, Austin found all the tapes linked to his hidden camera smashed, with pieces covering the living room floor. He sent Brian upstairs and went to look for Henry. In their bedroom, an explosive argument ensued. Austin had learned self-defense earlier in the year to protect himself, and fought back when Henry went for him. Austin ended up delivering a blow so forceful to Henry's chest he broke his ribs. By this time, Austin fell into another depression and ended up abusing alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana on a near daily basis. As opposed to purchasing food for the home, Austin took to stocking the fridge with a variety of alcohol. The young man's weight plummeted to 94 pounds, and he hardly spoke to anyone. Every local knew his manic husband was responsible for it. On Halloween night 2019, Austin returned home with Brian to find Henry sobbing in the kitchen. Austin noticed his spouse's iPhone sitting on the coffee table in the living room and read through it, seeing a text message from his sister-in-law, saying their father had passed away earlier that day. Austin quietly crept over to comfort the man he loved, but was met with fierce aggression, and Austin took a blow that knocked him off his feet. However, he quickly rebounded and threatened Henry, saying not to fight in front of Brian. Henry lashed out at Austin, repeatedly kicking him over and over again. Austin managed to escape and took Brian up to his bedroom, where the two began crying. Henry burst into the room, but Austin, now enraged, snatched a nearby baseball bat and forced Henry out of the room, repeatedly smacking his arm until he tripped and fell down the stairs. That night, Austin and Brian slept in the same room with the door barricaded. In the morning, Austin awoke to find his husband AWOL. Over the next week, Austin gradually became more worried over what Henry was doing, focusing on him and only him. During his husband's absence, Austin invited over a good friend of his, Brianna, to stay with him and help calm his nerves. Brian cited that during the week, his cousin never went "an hour without drinking". By the end of the first week of November, Austin had drank so much he nearly fell into a coma. Upon release from the hospital, Brianna and Brian took Austin back to his mother's, saying Henry had returned and was enraged at Austin's disappearance. Once he had made a full recovery, Austin returned to his residence to gather his things, but was attacked and beaten into oblivion by Henry. Injuries were so severe, as Austin suffered a concussion, broken arm, black eye, and shattered leg at the mercy of his husband. Friends and family pleaded with Austin to leave his abuser, but he refused, saying he was still in love. They then turned to Henry, attempting to get him to go to counseling to help with some evident anger management issues. He boldly repudiated, saying he was "just fine." After Austin's second release from Mount Carmel West Hospital within a month, he decided upon marriage counseling to assist in alleviating the constant drama between him and his spouse. As Austin attempted to explain this to his husband, Henry became enraged. Austin lured him towards the closet and locked him inside. He then ran to the kitchen to call the police, but Henry escaped and chased a terrified Austin throughout the house, threatening his life. Eventually, neighbors heard screams and broke down the front door, witnessing Henry repeatedly bashing his spouse up against the wall. Henry was immediately arrested and put on trial once Austin decided to press charges. The court proceedings were abnormally speedy, as the mountain of evidence and testimonies against Henry were deemed sufficient enough to warrant a guilty verdict. Austin's spouse was sentenced to three to five years in prison, with an eligibility for parole upon release and up to 400 hours community service. Additionally, Austin underwent extensive medical treatment, rehabilitation, and drug therapy to mitigate his drug and alcohol addictions. The now 25-year old eventually married Brianna; the couple lives a lavish lifestyle in Miami, Florida and have three young children. Austin has recently been quoted saying he "loves life." In November 2022, Henry was released from prison and lives alone in an apartment in Columbus, Ohio. He has attempted to obtain counseling for his anger issues and regrets ruining his relationship with his once best friend. Though the two remain in contact with each other, the pair have not spoken in person since Henry's sentencing. Category:Sassmaster15 Category:Hypothetical Stories Category:Complete Stories Category:Futuristic Stories Category:Realistic Stories Category:PG13